Bathurst trainer-driver Nathan Hurst is a great fan of the Harness Racing New South Wales Carnival of Cups as the likeable horseman travels far and wide across the state to participate in the feature meetings.
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He believes that the Parkes carnival held over the festive season is one of the best concepts of any with three race meetings conducted over a two week period.
“I love all of the Carnival of Cups but Parkes having their meetings close together suits the way I think a carnival should be run,” Hurst said.
“Tamworth follows a similar program and they are the two carnivals I really look forward to each year,” he said.
2011-2012 was a special season for Hurst as he took out the NSW Owners Association Carnival of Cups Leading Trainer and Leading Driver.
In the 2013-14 season, his star pacer Smokin Bopper was named the Carnival of Cups Leading Horse.
But all roads throughout the Western Districts and beyond will lead to Parkes on Monday evening, December 29, for the first of three race meetings which will set the scene for what will be another fantastic fortnight of racing.
The Carnival of Cups fixture on Friday night, January 2, features the $15,000 three year old Golden Bar final.
Qualifying heats on December 29 will determine the field for this juvenile event.
Another feature on January 2 will be the time honoured Langlands Hanlon Sprint which carries stakes of $12,000 and has been won by some top horses in the past.
But the night that many look forward to is the Elvis Revival Festival meeting on Wednesday evening, January 7.
The Parkes Harness Racing Club has embraced the Festival and is pleased to be part of providing entertainment for the thousands of visitors who flock to Parkes each January.
Damien Mullin will be back to entertain the crowd while the Elvis theme will create much colour and joy at the meeting.
Racing wise, the $10,000 Elvis Festival final, two $10,000 heats of the Tabcorp Menangle Series and the final of the Medlyn’s and Castrol Missile Sulky Series will all be races that will be attractive to owners and trainers.
Hurst, who reigns as the Premier Trainer and Driver at Parkes, he has indicated that he will be strongly supporting this year’s carnival and as always will be a prominent player.
Local trainers such as Terry Powter, David Harris, Tom Ward, Andrew Cassell, Steve Dowton, Craig Rusten and Brett Hutchings are likely to be represented during the carnival while leading Forbes trainer Jason Gaffney has indicated that there will be a number of runners from his barn engaged.
Terry Robb, Adam Bellach, Gary Eyre, Braden Sullivan, Lyn Freeman, Ian Quirk and Jeff Brown from Forbes and the Jones boys from Eugowra are just some of the trainers in the immediate area who will be represented.
Due to the holidays, a number of regional publications will be suspended so those seeking fields for the Parkes meetings should search the internet via www.harness.org.au or look up a TAB guide on the day of each race meeting.
